Worth the Risk
by GrimGrave
Summary: They never saw eye-to-eye, but those days of just spending time with the lilac-haired woman was something the Half-Genie found herself wanting more of… She wanted Risky to be around. A collaborated story by myself and Kamen Rider Omega. Contains Yuri and slight Futanari, but mostly Yuri.
1. Chapter 1

**Worth the Risk**

 **Disclaimer: Shantae and all associated characters belong to WayForward Technologies and Capcom. GrimGrave does not make money for writing fiction.**

 **A collaborated story with Kamen Rider Omega!**

 _ **Chapter 1 – Through the Storm She Cometh**_

It had been months now since anything happened around here. The Guardian (Half-) Genie, Shantae, had resorted to most of the time just being idle around her house. Since her last battle with the nefarious lady-pirate Risky Boots, the purplette had been left with nothing to do; Ammo Baron had not attempted anything, Sky didn't need help with her eggs, and Bolo - … well, was Bolo.

And her uncle, Mimic, was far too busy with his own work, leaving Shantae left unwanted and alone.

Scuttle Town no longer had a need of her.

A benefit with all the free time, however, was that she now could practice her magic to uncover new transformations, for example. But even that wonderful idea had become dull as time passed and there was nothing new to uncover, and only one or two nifty transformations worth mentioning, and another one or two that Shantae didn't know what to think about.

No, there was nothing left to do. She had tasted adventure – now normal, everyday-life was too plain for her.

So plain and dull in fact that the Half-Genie was looking out her window, resting her chin in the palm of her hand, and stared absentmindedly out at the stormy blue, now violent open seas. Raindrops were pelting down, smacking against the rooftop, as per usual for a typical storm.

She sighed, sky-blue twin pools lazily straying from the whirling aquatic expanse and over to the grey horizon while pondering and reminiscing, and a certain lilac-haired cutthroat of the seas immediately came to mind.

The nefarious, self-proclaimed Pirate-Queen and Shantae's arch-nemesis: _Risky Boots._

Honestly, the young girl couldn't make heads or tails when it came to the female pirate. The sea-faring villain had stolen her powers, numerously attacked Scuttle Town, even made attempts on the Half-Genie's life, and was evil through and through.

…And yet, they had worked together once. It felt like eternity since that time, but merely a year had actually passed since the Pirate Master's demise. And the events that had transpired afterwards replayed in the purplette's mind to this day.

 _/ "There's nothing to fear," the lady-pirate said, donning her captain's hat with a grin. "The curse has been broken. I'm in charge of my own destiny. I won't let the darkness rule over me any longer."_

 _Something about that choice of words had the Half-Genie's heart skip a little beat. Over the course of their adventures together, Shantae had grown…_ _ **attached**_ _, for the lack of a better word, to her sworn enemy. Having set their differences aside had helped the girl see the older woman in a different light and deep down a part of her hoped – wanted – the Pirate-Queen to give up on being evil, give up on being a villain…_

 _And maybe-_

" _So… you're going to become a good guy?" She had said it with hope that this time, she was right._

 _The moment their eyes met, the purplette girl's heart sank. "Ho ho ho! I didn't say that!" Risky's grin faded and she eyed her enemy with a somber expression. "Listen carefully, runt. You walked the walk, and you talked the talk. Heh, you even dressed the part."_

 _Shantae laughed softly. Even if it was for a short while, being dressed and acting like a pirate had been quite joyous. Everything had been joyous._

 _They never saw eye-to-eye, but those days of just spending time with the lilac-haired woman was something the Half-Genie found herself wanting more of… She wanted Risky to be around._

" _But in the end," the pirate continued. "You're no seafaring cutthroat. Far from it. You can't pretend to be something you're not. And… neither can I."_

 _The younger female swallowed hard, fearing what the other woman would say next. Part of her knew what was coming, and her heart throbbed nervously-_

" _So long."_

 _Without another word – without as much as a last glance – Risky turned on her heel and left the palace._

 _Blue eyes widened and Shantae's mouth opened up to speak, but no sound came. What was she supposed to say? What did she_ _ **want**_ _to say? Surely it was for the better if the lady-pirate disappeared and preferably didn't come back? And even if she did…_

 _The words forced themselves out of her mouth. "Risky…I…I… … Don't go!"_

 _What was it with seeing her villain leaving that made Shantae's chest hurt so much?_

" _Don't go!"_

 _She didn't understand. All she knew was that she didn't want Risky to disappear._

 _No reply came. The Pirate-Queen had already vanished into the darkness of the still-lingering storm. /_

 _´She'll have to discover her own path.´_ that's what Uncle Mimic had said, and the young Guardian-Genie had to agree.

But with not even the slightest sign of the pirate, Shantae had begun to wonder to the point of actually worrying about whether or not she would see the older woman again. And even now, she didn't understand why she cared so much. She had willingly saved her enemy's life, sure, but what had compelled her to go to such lengths?

The girl groaned. Her head hurt from all the thinking –

A loud crash – a booming noise that wasn't drowned out by the roars of thunder, the downpour of rain, or the crashing of waves against cliffs – shook the young girl out of her state of pondering and she whipped her head towards the direction of the sound, towards the beach below. A pillar of smoke was rising up and without second thoughts, Shantae dashed out of her house and made her way to the sandy reaches.

Ponytail whipping in the harsh, frigid wind, she ran through the downpour, ignoring the fact that she risked getting sick. As Shantae reached the billow of smoke, the sight made her gasp and she ceased in her tracks; it was the _Tinkertub!_ The vessel of the nefarious Pirate Queen!

The ship was in a sorry state: the mast looked like it would break apart at any moment, the hull was battered, and the sail was torn and resembled nothing like a sail. Overall, the ship was nearly demolished. And where were the Tinkerbats?!

But the state of Tinkertank was quickly forgotten as twin azure pools strayed downwards to the beach where the waves crashed upon and despite the lack of light, the Half-Genie could make out something – no, some _one_ – lying on the ground.

"Risky Boots!" she cried out, her heart racing – with elation or panic, she couldn't tell – as she ran over to her fallen enemy and immediately helped the pirate out of the water.

The self-proclaimed Pirate Queen wasn't in a better state than her ship; her clothes were damp and slightly tattered, and her body was completely slack. Her hat was missing and the bandana she usually wore was loose, allowing long lilac tresses to cascade over her face and back.

The Guardian Genie gritted her teeth as she slung one of Risky's limp arms over her shoulders and proceeded to carry her sworn enemy away from the site. The ship she could worry about later, right now she did what her heart screamed at her to do – the right thing. And that was to save Risky's life (again!) and be quick about it. The storm was only getting worse, and the lady-pirate's condition wasn't going to get any better by itself.

 **X.x.X**

The first thing she noticed was pain; her whole body was aching, and she was cold, chilling to the very bones, and her mind was a haze. Her vision swam, but she could gradually make out a much closed in space, made of stone, and a large window where the only light (aside from a lantern hanging from the ceiling) that filtered through was the flash of thunderbolts zipping through the stormy sky.

Where was she?

There were voices, one being male and the other definitely a female – and didn't that voice sound familiar? – coming from… _below_ her? It sounded like a heated argument, but the storm nearly drowned any other noise out completely.

Trying to move was out of the question; the pain got worse as it zipped through her limbs, forcing her to stay put in what she found out to be a hammock.

Just where in the world was she?

As fatigue began to steal her back into unconsciousness, the thunder ceased for but a moment, allowing the slumbering woman a brief insight of the conversation down below,

" _You've got to help me patch her up, Uncle Mimic! I don't know how to do it!"_

…That voice **did** sound disturbingly familiar…

 **X.x.X**

"You were right to fetch me when you did, Shantae. She should be alright now," the elderly relic hunter said as he and his adopted niece climbed down the rope to the entrance level of Shantae's home. "But I'm more curious about how she ended up like this… You said you found her on the beach?"

"That's right!" the Guardian Genie replied. "I heard her Tinkertub crash and that's when I ran to the beach!" The girl cocked her head, finger tapping her chin. "I didn't see any Tinkerbats though…"

"Probably for the best – I dread to think what could happen if…" He shook his head. "Nevermind them for now, what are you going to do about Risky Boots, Shantae?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

The old man crossed his arms over his chest with a frown. "I know you worked together last time you met, but she is still an enemy to Scuttle Town. You were right to come to her aid, but what do you plan on doing when she is fully healed?"

The young purplette bit her lip. She hadn't through ahead about that. "I… I don't know. I mean, I **have** defeated her before! If she tries anything funny –"

"I know, I know," Mimic replied, putting up his hands defensively. "But you have to remember that she also has gotten away with thing – do I have to remind you of the Steam Engine?" He sighed, his expression softened. "We will cross that bridge when we get to it, I guess. It will take a while for her to recuperate – my knowledge of patching people up is quite limited, you know. Furthermore, if I were you, I'd kept quiet about your… _guest_ to the others."

Shantae flashed her uncle a scowl. "Why? Maybe they can help –"

"Not everyone sees Risky Boots in the same light as you, Shantae…" Mimic sighed and turned to leave. "I'll be back in a day or two. Make sure she gets plenty of rest and of course food and water when she's able to feed herself." He opened the wooden door and paused at the doorway. "…Oh, and Shantae… Please be careful. I wouldn't put it past the pirate to use this as a kind of trick."

The moment the door was closed, the young girl sighed deeply and looked up at the low light from the upper floor.

All things considered, just where was she going to sleep tonight?

 **X.x.X**

After a rather fitful night's sleep, Risky woke to the twin feelings of pain and fear. The latter quickly abated when she recognized the inside of Shantae's house (the realization also bringing about a mental groan), given that she had not too long ago set up a booby trapped bathtub to trap the guardian of Scuttle Town. The former however didn't seem to lessen no matter what way she tried to move. For that matter, she couldn't move her right arm.  
She slowly angled her head down, which was no easy task considering that she felt sore everywhere. Upon tilting her head those agonizing degrees, she saw that her right arm was encased in a splint and a sling, keeping it pinned to her chest. She also noticed that her body was covered in places with medical tape and gauze.

' _How did I?'_ she thought, until she remembered the storm, _'Must have happened after I ran aground...'_ She laid back, her nose catching the smell of cooking from below, the scent prompting a growl from her empty stomach.

Though try as she might, Risky was physically incapable of moving enough to stand, let alone sit up. Even if she had the energy, her body felt like she had been cut to ribbons with her own scimitar.

Contemplating what she was going to do next, the pirate was roused from her train of thoughts when she heard the sounds of slight exertion a moment later, the rope hanging from the ceiling moving with the burden of its climber. Eventually Shantae climbed up and over the lip of the hole the rope fell through, holding a small box snuggly under one arm, swinging a little to get her feet over to the edge and letting go of the rope, landing on her feet.

"Oh! You're awake!" Shantae said, her voice filled with relief, setting the box down on the small nightstand and kneeling at the self-professed Pirate Queen's bedside. "How are you feeling?" Shantae asked, her large, innocent blue eyes glimmering with open concern. Risky fought back the urge to make a snappy comment, not that she was in any mood to banter with the half-genie.

"Been better," she eventually decided to say, almost immediately regretting even that much as her body was suddenly wracked with a an agonizing coughing fit.

Shantae jumped back down into the hole, coming back with a small kettle and a clay cup (safely carried on her back in a strange backpack-like thing, allowing her to climb), which she poured water into. Risky took the cup, drinking slowly so that she wouldn't choke on the refreshing liquid. "Thank you," she said after her throat stopped feeling like she had swallowed sandpaper.

"It's no problem," Shantae replied, pulling up a simple three legged stool to sit on next to the bed. "I figured you must be pretty hungry, so I brought you something to eat," the Half-Genie said before continuing, "Though I didn't know what you like."

Before Risky could ask anything, her host pulled the box's lid open, revealing a simple bento box. Inside was a fair portion of cooked fish and small rice balls, along with half an apple. Risky was floored; here was the woman she had literally tried to capture or kill on multiple occasions – more than she could count –, making her something to eat along with treating her wounds.

"T-thank you…" Risky's voice cracked a little, whether it was from the soreness of her throat or the mental shock or both, Risky had no clue, but she berated herself for allowing it to happen. This – the situation, the feeling of helplessness and vulnerability – was infuriatingly humiliating! The Pirate Queen snatched the bento box with her free hand, but the pain from the sudden action caused her to nearly drop it immediately. "Tch. I bet this must be hilarious for you to watch."

Azure pools blinked and the Half-Genie's mouth parted slightly in puzzlement when she finally understood what her enemy meant, and she quickly shook her head. "No! Absolutely not!"

"Whatever you say," Risky replied nonchalantly, focusing instead on her task at hand – eating. A task that was easier said than done, as pieces of fish fell limply back into the bento time and time again.

"I couldn't possibly enjoy your suffering…" Shantae admitted quietly. Her hands clenched and tugged at her pants, her gaze a mix between sternness and cheerlessness. With a weary sight, she got up on her feet. "When you're done, you can put the box on the nightstand. You should get some more rest-"

"Hold it, girl."

Azure met with crimson.

"Thanks again for the food," Risky Boots said before shifting her gaze back to the bento box and missing the smile that curved the younger girl's lips as she walked over to and climbed down the rope.

 **X.x.X**

 **(Omega) Hi Everybody! (Hi Doctor Nick!)  
(Grim)... XD  
(Omega) Oh c'mon, I had to.**

 **(Omega) So yeah, this is our second official collab together, and I think it has come along swimmingly so far. We are both big fans of Shantae, so we wanted to make something celebrating the series together, especially with 1/2 Genie Hero right around the corner.**

 **(Omega) Also, you are very welcome, Grim, for my introducing you to this series =3**

 **(Grim) Hah! I'm supposed to be thanking you first, dolt. Still, I am indeed very grateful for you to do so. Having only cleared the Pirate's Curse somewhat recently, I fell in love with the series - specifically, the characters.**

 **I've only written a short one-shot for the fandom thus far, but this collaborated piece is just another step of many towards the potential of stories that'll arise in the future.**

 **So, with all that said and done, I'll close this off by thanking Kamen Rider Omega for introducing me to Shantae, and for writing this with me. Now, enjoy!**

 **(Omega) Thanks everyone!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Worth the Risk**

 **Disclaimer: Shantae and all associated characters belong to WayForward Technologies and Capcom. GrimGrave does not make money for writing fiction.**

 **A/N:**

 _ **GrimGrave: Hello again, everyone! It's been a while since I've updated anything - so sorry about that! I'll eventually get some more spare time, so expect more updates in the future!**_

 _ **This time, enjoy the collaboration between me and Kamen Rider Omega as Shantae's little adventure continues! Omega, your thoughts?**_

 _ **Omega: Well, I must apologize as well for the long delay on this story, but I would like to thank all you fine folks for reading this little story of ours, and for being so patient.**_

 _ **I could not have done the work I did, such as it is, without Grim helping me through this. So to that I say thank you my friend!**_

 _ **GrimGrave: You're more than welcome, mate! And with that, do enjoy.**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 2 – Unexpected Affection**_

Risky Boots was many things. A self-professed Pirate Queen, a crack shot with her pistols, a very capable swordswoman and secretly a collector of seashells in her spare time. But one thing Risky wasn't was patient. Shantae, naive though she was, couldn't miss the sound of Risky's foot tapping the floor rapidly in irritation.

"You know, if you want help, you can just ask," Shantae stated as she observed her guest eat lunch. The lady-pirate sat opposite her, her arm still encased in a splint and a sling. There hadn't been much contact between the two after breakfast, with the Half-Genie shopping to make sure she had everything at home, and Risky Boots trying to get some much needed rest.

Risky glowered at her enemy-turn-hostess. "I'm **fine** ," she retorted, but she was anything but; her dominant arm was unavailable, and using her left arm for eating with utensils proved to be a challenge – a steadily growing, frustratingly challenge. She stabbed the knife into the piece of grilled fish that was today's lunch, only for the fish to slide right off the utensil. "Just fine and dandy…"

It was the Half-Genie's turn to frown. "How about letting me help you before you pierce the plate and the table?"

"I've got this," Risky replied, her gaze fixed on her meal. "I've got this, alright?!" By then, she doubled over and let out a painful groan, clutching her abdomen: her knife clattered against the floor as the pirate doubled over from the sudden pain. Making matters worse was a sudden wracking cough that made her already tender ribs hurt even worse with every harsh hack of air.

She didn't even realize that her rival was already by her side when she looked back up. The guardian-genie was frowning at her, but her hand on Risky's shoulder was surprisingly tender. "Let me help you already, Risky."

The self-proclaimed Queen of the Seas gritted her teeth at the idea; she was a pirate, ruler of the seas who struck fear into landlubbers and sailors alike, and now she was reduced to… whatever she currently was who couldn't even eat by herself.

But she was growing hungrier…

Tch. "Fine, brat. I'll accept your help… this time," she said and mocked distaste, as if the words left a vile taste in her mouth.

To her surprise, Shantae only giggled. "You gladly let me help you before, so I don't see why you're making a fuss now."

That… was a good point. Annoyingly so.

"Tch. Just hurry up and do it already."

"Aye aye," the tanned girl said with a snicker as she cut the fish into small pieces. Once done, she left the fork on the left side of the plate. "There, now you can eat a bit easier!"

Risky rolled her eyes. It was as if she was a child.

"Hmph." Grabbing the utensil, the lady-pirate stabbed a piece and greedily shoved it into her mouth. "…This is… alright."

Shantae gasped. "W-what?! Just "alright"? I did my absolute best with this! I even borrowed the recipe from the old lady down the market!"

"And I'm telling you it's just "alright"." The Pirate Queen managed a smirk. "My tinkerbats can cook better than this, girlie."

"Say what?! I'll have you know that my uncle praises my cooking!"

Risky's smirk grew wider. Oh, this was getting good. "It's half-assed. You could do with a few years of training."

Shantae neglected to comment on that, though Risky had a funny feeling that something to the effect of 'I'd have plenty of time if you didn't keep attacking Scuttle Town' was on the tip of the violet haired girls tongue.

A long silence hung in the air between them, only punctuated by the occasional clatter of silverware on dishware that came from the two young women enjoying their brunch.  
Once they were both finished the half-genie gathered up the dishes and utensils, placed them in the nearby sink and set to cleaning them off.  
Risky took these moments where Shantae's back was turned to her to look the dark-skinned Half-Genie before her, admiring how the once waifish girl had matured into a vibrant and beautiful young woman in the time since they had first encountered each other.

Her body had filled out, that was certain to Risky, the fact that the lady buccaneer had a hard time taking her eyes away from the Half-Genie's hips, her mind flooded with memories of how she swayed those hips every which way as she danced.

It only took her a second to realize that her cheeks were starting to turn the same colour as the guardian-genie's bedlah pants, so she immediately averted her eyes back to the firm splint that kept her right arm from being of any use. Her brief embarrassment made way for anger and humiliation; she couldn't even use her scimitar properly, let alone fight! And any acrobatic moves would only renew the pain in her ribs.

That left her with only one option: the gun. But neither it nor the sword was anywhere to be found!

 _´Must've been left on my ship…´_ Risky pondered. What a nuisance. She practically _had_ to endure with her enemy's care.

Then again…

Red eyes darted back to her nemesis, silently appreciating the way those bedlah pants hugged a shapely rear that ever so slightly swayed from side to side.

…Perhaps this wasn't such a predicament after all.

Wait-what? That girl was her enemy, for heaven's sake! What was it with these kinds of thoughts popping up in her head without permission?! Risky didn't know whether to vomit or scream from the thought. She needed to distract herself –!

A loud clatter had Shantae yelping and she spun around to find her guest's ceramic cup scattered on the floor.

The lady-pirate smirked. "Whoops. Looks like I made a mess, but surely you'll forgive me? It's difficult to do things with my non-dominant hand and all."

The guardian-genie scowled and looked like she wanted to yell at her, but her anger was forcefully subsided – it didn't go unnoticed, however, and Risky Boots was pleased to have found a new way to entertain herself.

"It's… alright, Risky. Accidents happen," Shantae replied, though the hint of anger in her voice was again not unnoticed.

The pirate grinned. "I do apologize, girlie. Unfortunately, with my arm like this, more accidents are bound to happen…"

"I understand…" the genie replied and sighed. "Just try your best to avoid further accidents, okay?"

"Oh, rest assured," Risky said. "I'll try my absolute best…"

The younger girl grumbled and immediately began to pick up the pieces, and the pirate-queen let out a soft chuckle at the sight. This was going to be funnier than she had originally thought. But with her gaze fixed on her hostess' physique rather than what she was doing, Risky's joy was short-lived.

 **X.x.X**

Waves lapped at the rocks at the base of the cliff, upon which sat Shantae's home. The small but cozy living space had been more crowded of late, what with Shantae having a half-reluctant roommate in the form of the self-professed Pirate Queen.

Thankfully, with her in less than ship shape, the purple skinned woman was far more docile than she would be normally. She huffed in boredom as she looked out at the rolling blue waves as they crashed upon the rocks and shoreline that made up the beach of Scuttle Town. She looked down at the beach, where she then saw a green mermaid suddenly wash ashore in the waves, only for said mermaid to transform with a flash of light into the violet haired half-genie that had been her caretaker.

She couldn't tell, but it seemed that Shantae had something under her arm. As her sight of Shantae became obscured when she ran from the beach towards the winding path that up to the lighthouse, Risky knew that it would only be a few moments before Shantae arrived.

As predicted, the door opened up shortly thereafter as the guardian-genie stepped inside, whipping her hair back and forth in an attempt to rid herself of water. And underneath her arm was –

"Are you collecting driftwood now?" the lady-pirate asked unamused.

Her hostess furrowed her brow. "No! I mean… well, kind of." She pouted. "It's parts of your ship."

Risky arched an eyebrow in confusion. She should've been more surprised than anything but the buccaneer was more curious about the reason behind such an action. "…And _why_ is the guardian genie of this dump collecting pieces of my run down ship?"

"I'm salvaging whatever pieces I can find so I can help repair your ship," Shantae replied. "It was smashed against rocks before crashing into the beach, right? I thought I'd –"

The mocking laughter of her rival interrupted the Half-Genie, followed by Risky sneering at the girl. "You never cease to surprise me, girlie. I knew you were naïve and all, but this right here takes the cake."

The younger girl's cheeks were red and hot with embarrassment.

The older woman grinned. "I hope you're not expecting me to leave Scuttle Town alone just because you're helping me. If you did, then I'm not sorry for disappointing you!"

She expected Shantae to fluster, to either immediately deny it to cover up the fact that she had hoped for just that or admit that she wanted Risky Boots to become "good."

What she didn't expect was for the guardian-genie to calmly shake her head. Well, so much for entertaining herself.

"I'm not like you, Risky. If I was, then I would've left you alone on the beach…" she responded, gaze cast to the floor. "But I didn't. I want to help you because –" Her words trailed off and azure eyes seemed to widen for a moment. "You should rest. I need to change my clothes."

That seemed fishy. The lilac-haired girl had been unusually meek just now and it only served to turn the gears in the Pirate Queen's head.

There was something the genie wasn't telling and Risky wanted to inquire further. The way she had pleaded her uncle to help patch the pirate woman up, offering her a bed to sleep in and cooking food, and now wanting to help rebuilding the Tinkertub… Just what was the Half-Genie up to?

So deeply was the sea-faring warrior mulling it over that her pulse suddenly quickened when crimson eyes was greeted with a bare genie at the other end of the room stripped out of her bedlah-pants and pushing her young, panties-clad backside out on display. Risky would've never imagined her rival to wear something simple as white cotton underwear but at the same time it was oddly cute, though her attention was mainly focused on Shantae's rear and its tempting shape. Not to mention the ample window of opportunity to steal a glance at the decent side-boob –

The buccaneer reeled back, aghast over herself, and turned her head so quickly that she thought her neck snapped. She had to adjust her pants to help ease the unwanted pressure down below, which proved difficult to do with one hand.

Risky hoped that Shantae didn't see that the pirate queen's face was now matching the colour of Shantae's bedlah-pants. 'There was no way her rival could be that easy on the eyes' Risky thought to herself, finally resolving to look at the ceiling.

 **X.x.X**

Carrying the salvaged parts of her nemesis' ship over to a nearby, secret cove, the Half-Genie mulled things over.

Risky Boots had asked the right question; why _was_ she helping the pirate to this extent? Well, she did want to help, and maybe she did hope that Risky would become… well, "good." She couldn't be blamed for dreaming, could she?

And yet it felt as if that wasn't quite it.

Shantae made it over to the cove through a near-impassable passage. She'd have to take the underwater path in the future; this route was narrow and treacherous with loose rocks and thick foliage.

As she skipped down the cave into the cove from above, her thoughts came back to the lady-pirate staying over and she couldn't suppress the smile that spread over her lips. All things considered, the guardian-genie was actually **happy** – happy over seeing Risky Boots again after a whole year of longing.

But now that the Pirate Queen was back, she would eventually have to leave again and the knowledge hurt the young girl's heart. She didn't want to see the older woman – rival or not – leave again. Why was that?

 _´This is so confusing,´_ she thought. Only one thing was certain.

For better or worse, Risky Boots made Shantae's life a lot more exciting.


End file.
